Substitute for whalebone.



No. 796,799. PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

- E. M. BOSSUET.

SUBSTITUTE FOR WHALEBONE.

APPLICATION YILED JULY 23, 1904.

01 1 5772? Emile/71170 sazwi.

w/i/vissm.

Mai @51 EMILE MEDER-IG BOSSUET, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

SUBSTITUTE FOR WHALEBONE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed July 23, 1904. Serial No. 217,788.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMILE MEDERIC BossUET, engineer, of 49 Boulevard Haussmann, in the city of Paris, Republic of France, have invented an Improved Substitute for Whalebone for Use in Articles of Dress, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Thisinvention relates to an improved substitute for whalebone for use in connection with corsets, bodices, and other articles of apparel. Said substitute, which can be economically manufactured, possesses qualities of resistance, elasticity, and flexibility without being of such a nature as to prevent the passage of a needle therethrough, and it is therefore readily operated upon by sewing.

This improved substitute for whalebone comprises small longitudinal strips of cork or cork composition, felt, leather, or other like material with intercalated strips of real whalebone, imitation whalebone, or other resistant and flexible material, these strips being secured togetherfor example, by means of a suitable adhesive-so as to constitute blades or pieces having the dimensions of the strips of whalebone usually employed in articles of dress.

The accompanying drawings show, in principle, as examples only, two forms of my improved substitute for whalebone.

Figure l is a face view marked to indicate differences of material, showing a strip of my improved substitute for whalebone; and Fig. 2 shows a transverse section on the line A A, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1, showing a modified arrangement; and Fig. 4 shows a transverse section on the line B B, Fig. 3.

1n the figures like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

As shown in the drawings, my improved substitute for whalebone comprises a number of narrow longitudinal strips a, of cork or cork composition, felt, leather, or other like penetrable material, between which are intercalated strips b of a resistant and flexible material, such as real whalebone, imitation whalebone, cachalot fins, horn, the horns of buffalo, indurated caoutchouc, gelatin, cane, quills or shafts of feathers, and the like. These strips 6 can, moreover, be formed of metallic stripsfor example, of steel, iron, or the like. A suitable number of these strips are secured togetl1erfor example, by means of a suitable adhesive-to form a single blade or strip.

The several strips a b can be so disposed that the lateral or edge strips are of resistant flexible material, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

or of soft material, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4C. In order to obtain a greater resistance at the center, the strip of whalebone substitute can be formed, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with a thicker central strip or with a central strip comprising two strips of whalebone or other resistant material suitably secured together.

The number, length, width, and thickness of the strips 66 I) can be varied according to the dimensions of the piece of whalebone substitute which it is desired to produce and according to the use to which the product is to be put.

This improved substitute for whalebone as a consequence of its special construction possesses a flexibility and resistance at least equal to real whalebone. Moreover, it possesses the advantage that it can be readily sewed, the operator being able without difficulty or special effort to pass a needle through the strips Z) of soft material. Therefore these improved strips can be secured in position as desired very quickly. The passage of the needle leaves no mark or trace, since the hole thus formed closes itself after the needle is withdrawn in consequence of the elasticity of the material.

This improved substitute for whalebone can be economically manufactured and is therefore capable of advantageously replacing real whalebone, the price of which is continually rising.

The arrangement of the various strips longitudinally gives to the improved whalebone substitute an attractive appearance. Nevertheless it can be coated with varnish or any other suitable coating, Whipped or corded, or inclosed in a sheath or any suitable fabric.

I claim 1. A substitute for whalebone for dresses, waists and bodices, composed of narrow strips of resilient flexible material acting as a spring, and strips of permeable material to receive sewing, said strips being juxtaposed and glued one to another.

2. A substitute for Whalebone for dresses, waists or bodices, composed of narrow strips of whalebone, cachalot or horn and narrow strips of cork alternating With the said first strips, said strips being juxtaposed and glued to each other.

The foregoing specification of my improved substitute for whaleloone for use in articles of dress signed by me.

EMILE MEDERIO BOSSUET.

Witnesses:

HANSON 0. (30x12, RENE Ci-IIRIoT. 

